


Welcome to Wisconsin

by RainSparks29



Category: Infinity Train (Cartoon)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Fluff, Gen, Won't be finished probably
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-12
Updated: 2020-01-12
Packaged: 2021-04-24 18:09:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 999
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22224898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RainSparks29/pseuds/RainSparks29
Summary: Free from the train, Jesse and Lake are ready to live their lives normally.When summer rolls around, they set out to find someone who understands what they've been through.
Comments: 8
Kudos: 160





	Welcome to Wisconsin

**Author's Note:**

> I miss Book 2 already soooo I'm writing this to fill the void in my heart. Hope you enjoy.

The legend of the Infinity Train was often compared to that of UFO encounters due to its unbelievability. It wasn’t such a well-known myth, sure, but usually about one in ten people had that one friend whose cousin’s step-dad’s younger sister’s boyfriend’s dentist’s estranged nephew had claimed to have boarded the train. Psychologists around the world often found themselves faced with patients who had disappeared for weeks, months, even years - only to suddenly reappear and claim they were on a train. It came to be known as ‘Train Fever’ - a person who had been deemed missing before reappearing randomly and explaining themselves with a story about a train. It had been observed that those diagnosed with train fever had gone through some kind of life changing experience while missing, and rarely acted the same as before. Many theories had been developed as to what caused the condition, from being the brain’s delusioned interpretations of traumatic events, to being a well-known cover story for those who didn’t want people to know where they’d been.

Of course, if you’d have told someone that Train Fever was just a person’s actual memories from time they spent on the train - and, that, actually, the train was real - you’d be laughed at.

It’s easy to see why. It’s typically impossible to bring anything home from the train. Pictures are blurred, companions are left behind, numbers are lost. The only theoretical way to prove the train’s existence would be to bring someone back… or lose someone. But denizens of the train can’t leave, because they don’t have a number. And the train only picks up one person from the real world at a time.

* * *

Nate Cosay was, frankly, in utter disbelief that morning. He’d kept a straight face for his brother, knowing that it was important to make Jesse feel welcomed back and safe after… whatever he’d been through. But after going into the house under the pretense of getting food, he’d shot to his parents to frantically explain that Jesse had returned, albeit… possibly delusional.

Stephan Cosay was overjoyed to hear that his son had returned - but absolutely baffled at the strangely detailed train story. Whitney Cosay, however, seemed slightly more thoughtful.

“I think he might have train fever. My hairdresser had an ex with a sister who had it. It’s not entirely uncommon among people who’ve gone missing,” she explained once she’d finished crying.

The three resolved to going outside to say hello to Jesse. But, to their utter dismay, he was nowhere to be found.

“He was  _ just _ here!” Nate exclaimed, frantically looking around.

“JESSE!”  
But Jesse was not there.

Nate Cosay was, perhaps, in even  _ more _ utter disbelief when he found his brother again, this time at sunset just before he gave up his search and went back inside. Part of him was angry at Jesse for disappearing again, part of him was relieved that he’d come back again - but mostly he was baffled at what he saw. Or, rather, who he saw. It was the girl from the mirror world from Jesse’s story, out in the orange light of the evening, and oh so real. She introduced herself as Lake, and Nate instantly took a shine to her. He knew one thing, and that was that train fever was a load of baloney - it was real. All of it was real.

Jesse reuniting with his family brought many emotions - lots of hugs, lots of tears, lots of questions. Especially questions about Lake, who was quite literally out of this world. An introduction, lots of storytelling, explaining, and more storytelling. It was a wonderful conversation, and Lake was ecstatic to be offered the guest room in the Cosay household to live in.

Then came the hard decision of what Lake wanted to do with her life - she was only 13, true, but she had to start somewhere. Eventually the idea of attending school and getting an education came to fruition. Sure, she'd been to school when reflecting Tulip - but when you just copy whatever your prime writes, you don't need to maintain any knowledge. Now, though, Lake could answer questions on her own, decide what  _ she  _ wanted to do for projects. Even if she was more street smart than anything, the idea of school became more and more thrilling.

To go to school, though, you need papers - citizenship and such.

Lake techniy did have papers, but they reflected Tulip's papers and were thus stuck in the mirror world. And, so, a crazy and seemingly unrealistic course of events transpired.

Over many months, Lake came to an orphanage, faked amnesia, claimed she didn't know who she was, underwent rigorous searching for her nonexistent parents and family, plenty of testing from scientists (it was no secret that she had a '1 in 7 billion condition' which 'caused her skin to harden and turn grey' - though, her anatomy was close enough to that of humans for her to be identified as such). After a long and tiring process she was given citizenship and then legally adopted by the Cosays.

* * *

It was summer at last. For Jesse and Nate, it was a glorious 10 weeks of non stop fun - no school, no work. For Lake, on the other hand, it looked like it would be a tedious 10 weeks building up to her first day at school - her first day of just… being a normal girl. The thought excited her to no end, and it was hard for her to go a day without questioning something that went on in the education system.

For someone expecting a certain amount of time to be boring, it is always nice when they are surprised with something. For Lake, this surprise came in the form of a vacation. A road trip of sorts, and they'd remain at their destination for about a week before heading back home to Arizona.

The destination?

Wisconsin.

And once Lake got there, she might even have the opportunity to meet a familiar face.


End file.
